Valve assembly for hopper-type vehicles



Nov. 6, 1956 J. L. cox

VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR HOPPER-TYPE VEHICLES Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1952 J55 .Lo

INVEN TOR.

ATTaQQA/E K Nov. 6, 1956 J. cox

VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR HOPPER-TYPE. VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1952 INVENTOR.

BY 4? ATTOIQNEY- Unite States Patent VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR HGPPER-TYPE VEHICLES Joe L. Cox, Pomona, Calif., assignor to Brogdex Company, Pomona, Califi, a corporation of California Application November 3, F362, Serial No. 318,404

11 Claims. (Cl. 10528$) This invention relates to a valve assembly for bulk storage containers and more particularly to an improved valve assembly readily and positively operable for gravity discharge of flowable granular bulk material carried in hopper-type vehicles.

This application describes certain features of a valve assembly for bulk materials disclosed and claimed in Patent No. 2,616,758, issued November 4, 1952, wherein a valve assembly is provided with a flexible, compliant open-ended duct of suitable material adapted to direct flow of bulk material from the valve assembly when open and adapted to act as a sealing means for the valve assembly when in closed position. The flexible boot when collapsed is retained in sealing position by a removably swingable bottom retainer or cover plate. These features are covered in said Meyer application and are not part of this invention.

Controllable discharge of bulk material from hoppertype storage containers where gravitational forces are relied upon for the commencement of and continuation of the flow of material downwardly from the storage hopper presents numerous problems in the valving of the discharge outlet or opening of such hopper containers. A valve located at the bottom of such a storage hopper supports a considerable proportion of the weight of the material and therefore operation of such a valve is made particularly difficult. Closure elements of such a valve assembly should operate in one direction only, that is, in the direction of gravitational flow of the material. Obviously, to open any valve closure element against the weight of the material will require large forces to lift the weight of the material imposed upon the valve closure element. Flowable bulk granular materials such as cement, sand, gravel, or aggregate of various sizes and grades tend to jam in the throat of a valve assembly and thereby further increase difficulty of valve operation. The valve closure elements must be sturdily made and must be supported positively when in closed position.

This invention contemplates a butterfly-type valve assembly wherein valve closure elements are arranged to move in the direction of flow of the material when urged to valve open position and wherein means are provided for supporting one of the valve closure elements in closed position while the other closure element is positively urged or drawn to open position. This support means also positively holds the valve closure elements in closed position and is so arranged as to be conveniently, readily capable of installation in a vehicle storage hopper having 2,769,403 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 r6 ICC a discharge opening spaced a short distance above ground level.

Another object of this invention is to design and provide a novel valve assembly for use with bulk material which is positive in action and easily operable under severe loading conditions.

A further object of this invention is to design and provide a valve assembly which is inexpensive to manufacture and is of simple construction.

A still further object of this invention is to design and provide a valve assembly for use with bulk material whereina pair of valve closure elements are so operable that one valve element may be held in closed position and the other valve element positively urged to open position.

Generally speaking, the invention contemplates a valve assembly having an elongated, hollow throat member forming a discharge opening. Extending below the discharge opening may be a flexible compliant duct having one open end secured to the margins of the throat member defining the discharge opening. The other end of the duct may be freely movable for directional control of the flow of the material. A cover plate may extend beneath the discharge opening when the valve assembly is closed and when the flexible duct is folded into collapsed position within the discharge opening. A pair of valve closure elements are pivotally mounted within the throat member, the elements being separately operable and being supported When in closed position by a plurality of spaced rollers engaging surfaces on the closure elements, said plurality of rollers being movable about an axis to be virtually entirely positioned beneath one valve element maintained in closed position while the other valve element is positively drawn by such movement'to open position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which an exemplary illustration of a valve assembly embodying this invention is shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a' valve assembly embodying this invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a front View Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in a vertical longitudinally extending plane indicated by the line III-III in Figs. 1 and 4.

-Fig. '4 is a transverse sectional view taken in the vertical plane indicated by line IV-IV of Fig. 2 and showing the valve assembly in closed position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the same plane as Fig. 4 and showing one valve closure element in open position while the other closure element is in closed position.

An exemplary hopper-type vehicle (not shown) upon which a valve assembly of this invention may be employed may comprise a vehicle trailer construction having downwardly and inwardly converging side Walls (as shown by phantom lines in Figs. 4 and 5) defining a storage container of hopper-type and terminating in an enlongated rectangular opening. The slope of said hopper walls maygenerally be the same as the slope of converging Walls of a valve throat member it) employed in the exemplary valve assembly generally indicated at H. The valve assembly 11 generally includes a valve closure means 12 operable within the valve throat member 10, a flexible compliant tube or duct 13 secured to bottom margins of the valve throat member 10, and a cover or retainer plate 14 swingably and removably attached to valve throat member 10.

The valve throat member Ill may be of open ended hollow rectangular form as best seen in Fig. l and may of the valve assembly shown in include vertical end walls 15 and converging side walls 16 terminating in vertically depending bottom margins 17 defining a rectangular discharge opening 18. A top peripheral flange 19 may be provided on the throat member for facilitating attachment as by means of spaced nut and bolt assemblies 20 to bottom margins of end and side walls of the hopper indicated by phantom lines at 21. A central vertical transverse partition wall 22 may be provided to reinforce the throat member 18.

The flexible compliant boot or duct 13 may have one open end sleeved over bottom margins 17 of the throat member 18 and suitably secured thereagainst as by metal retainer rings or wires 23 encircling and tightly drawn about bottom margins 17. The retainer rings 23 may be further secured by means of a plurality of peripherally spaced metal retainer clips 24, each secured to an associated wall of the throat member 10 as by a securing bolt 25. The other open end of the flexible duct 13 may extend below the discharge opening 18 for a suitably selected distance so as to guide flow of material therethrough to a selected fill point. In closed position the flexible duct 13 may be folded into collapsed position within discharge opening 18 as indicated in Fig. 4 for sealing the opening 18 as described in the say Meyer application.

The cover or retainer plate 14 for the flexible duct 13 may comprise a fiat rectangular metal sheet 27 having upwardly inclined peripheral margins 28 adapted to partially enclose the bottom margins 17 when in valve covering position. The plate 14 supports the collapsed duct 13 and serves to protect duct 13 and the bottom of the valve assembly against entry of foreign matter which might be thrown up into or against the valve assembly by the wheels of the vehicle.

The retainer plate 14 may be conveniently supported by two pairs of spaced bars 29, each pair of bars being secured transversely to bottom surfaces of the sheet 27 as by welding and extending therebeyond in opposite directions for pivotal connection as at 30 to open bottom ends of inverted U-shaped links 31. The top closed ends of said links 31 are carried by outwardly projecting brackets 32 secured to walls 16 of the valve closure member 10. Each bracket 32 is provided with an upwardly facing notch or recess 33 for reception of the top closed end of link 31. Each link 31 may be suitably secured in the associated notch 33 by a retaining bar 34 pivoted to the end of bracket 32 as at 35 and having an inwardly directed extension 36 cooperable with the link 31 to both retain the link 31 in said notch 33 in one position and to release said link 31 therefrom by means of a simple downwardly directed lever action about the pivotal connection 35. Thus, either side of the retainer plate may be released and Lire plate 14 swung to discharge position as shown in The valve closure means 12 of this invention comprises a pair of diagonally downwardly extending rectangular valve closure elements 38, each pivoted about a horizontal axis adjacent the top portion of the valve throat member 10 provided by a longitudinally extending shaft 39. The shaft 39 may be supported in bearings 40 provided on opposite end walls 15 of the valve throat member 18. Each valve closure member 38 may be provided with longitudinally spaced tubular sections 41 secured as by welding to proximate margins of the valve closure elements 38. The tubular sections 41 of respective valve closure elements 38 are alternately arranged and sleeved over the shaft 39 as best seen in Fig. 1.

Distal margins 42 of valve elements 38 may be bent into an outwardly directed horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4 and terminate in proximity to the inner surfaces of the bottom margins 17 of the valve throat member. It will thus be readily apparent that the valve closure elements 38 may be pivotally swung inwardly toward each other to allow gravitational flow of bulk material carried by the hopper container.

Means for supporting the valve closure elements 38 in closed position may be provided by a valve actuating rod 44 rotatable about an axis lying below and parallel to the axis of shaft 39 and between the valve closure elements 38. The actuating rod 44 may be suitably mounted for rotation from end walls 15 of the valve throat member 10 as by bearings at 45. One end of the rod 44 may be provided with a diagonally upwardly extending openended hollow pipe or tube 46 which may serve as a connection for a suitable bar adapted to be inserted thereinto for rotating rod 44.

The actuating rod 44 fixedly carries at spaced longitudinal intervals pairs of spaced upwardly extending, generally identical aligned triangular plates 47. The pairs of plates 47 are so arranged that when the valve closure elements are in closed position, one side 48 of the pairs of plates lies substantially horizontally and extends between the valve closure elements 38. The pairs of plates 47 provide journals for carrying a plurality of spaced rollers 49, 50 and 51. The rollers 49 and 51 are located at opposite ends of side 48 and each may be suitably rotatably mounted therein by means of a nut and bolt assembly 52 extending through the respective roller and through aligned openings provided in said plates 47. The roller 50 positioned intermediate the rollers 49 and 51 may be carried by suitable brackets 53 secured as by welding to the top margins of the triangular plates 47. The axes of the rollers 49, 50 and 51 are equally radially distant from the axis of actuating rod 44. The rollers 49 and 51 are adapted to bear against bottom surface portions of respective closure elements 38 to hold both closure elements in closed position.

In order to positively open one of the valve closure elements 38 while the other valve closure element 38 is held in closed position a flexible non-stretchable cord or metallic cable 55 is connected without slack at each end to the valve closure elements 38 adjacent to margins 42. Each connection may comprise a port 56 in element 38 through which the end portion of the cable 55 may extend and a ported bolt 57 adapted to receive the end of cable 55. The bolt 57 may extend through an opening in element 38 and a jamb nut 58 threaded thereon may be tightened to clinch the end of cable 55 between the valve element 38 and the ported end of the bolt. The central section of cable 55 extends partially over actuating rod 44, is then returned through an aligned diametrical horizontal bore 60 in actuating rod 44, and is then again passed over rod 44 for connection to the other valve closure element 38 in the manner as above described.

A screw bolt 64 (Fig. 3) and a grooved clamping washer 65 may be provided to tightly clamp the cable 55 against the rod 44 to prevent slippage of the cable on rod 44.

It will thus be apparent that when the actuating rod 44 is rotated about its axis in one direction, the nonstretchable cable 55 will positively pull one valve closure element 38 into depending open position as shown in Fig. 5.

At the same time and with the same rotation of rod 44 the triangular plates 47 carrying the rollers 49, 50 and 51 are rotated so that rollers 50 and 51 now contact in supporting relation surface portions of the other valve element 38. In order that roller 51 positively support the element 38 a cam plate 61 is secured in any suitable manner as by welding to the bottom surface of each valve closure element 38 in alignment with the rollers 49, 50 and 51. The cam plate 61 is provided with a curved edge 62 having a radius equal to the distance between the axis of the actuating rod 44 and the most radially distant element of each roller. (Roller 51 thus continuously supports and holds the said other element 38 in closed position while intermediate roller 50 moves into supporting contact with this element 38.) It will thus be apparent that both rollers 50 and 51 cooperate to hold one valve element 38 in closed position while the other '5 valve element 38 is moved to open position for discharge of the bulk material.

When the bulk material above the open valve element 38 has been discharged, the actuating rod 44 may be rotated in the opposite direction to close the open element 38 and to open the closed element 38 for discharge of the remaining bulk material. The rollers 49 and 50, in this example, will contact bottom surface portions of the associated valve element 38, including a cam plate 61, and non-stretchable cable 55 will positively pull the closed element 38 to open position.

Both valve closure elements are positively and controllably opened in the direction of the gravitational flow of the bulk material and do not operate against the weight of the material. When the hopper is empty, the open valve element 38 may be closed by rotating the actuating rod to neutral or center position. Each roller 49 and 51 will then bear against the bottom surface of the respective element 38 and hold said elements in closed position.

Various changes may be made in the structure of the valve closure elements and the actuating means therefor which come within the spirit of this invention. All such changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a valve assembly for discharge of flowable bulk material from a hopper-type vehicle, the combination of: a hollow valve throat member having a discharge opening; a pair of valve closure elements pivotally carried in the throat member for closing said opening and means for supporting said valve elements in closed position and operable to selectively move one valve element to open position while the other element remains closed, said supporting means including a plurality of transversely disposed spaced rollers bearing against bottom surfaces on said valve elements and movable about an axis centrally disposed between the valve elements, and said bottom surfaces including curved edge faces extending laterally inwardly from each valve closure element and cooperable with said rollers.

2. In a valve assembly for discharge of flowable bulk material from a hopper-type vehicle, the combination of: a hollow valve throat member having a discharge opening; a pair of valve closure elements pivotally carried in the throat member for closing said opening and means for supporting said valve elements in closed position and operable to selectively move one valve element to open position While the other valve element remains closed, and said supporting means including a plurality of transversely disposed spaced rollers lying in a vertical zone and bearing against bottom surfaces on said valve elements and movable about a horizontal axis centrally disposed between the valve elements.

3. In a valve assembly for discharge of fiowable bulk material from a hopper-type vehicle, the combination of a hollow valve throat member having a discharge opening; valve closure elements each extending diagonally downwardly across the throat member to close said discharge opening and pivotally mounted about an axis lying between the planes of opposed walls of the throat member; means for supporting said valve elements in closed position and operable to selectively move one valve element to open position while the other valve element remains closed; said supporting means including a pivotally mounted actuating rod on said throat member and transversely aligned spaced rollers having their axes lying on an arc and carried by said rod, and curved surface means on said valve closure elements cooperable with said rollers in movement thereof by rotation of said rod to support only one valve closure element.

4. In a valve assembly for discharge of flowable bulk material from a hopper-type vehicle, the combination of: a valve throat means having a discharge opening; and valve closure means for said opening and including valve elements pivotally mounted about acommon axis lying between the walls of the throat means, said valve elements extending downwardly in divergent relation when in closed position, means extending between said elements and movable in a vertical zone transverse to said valve elements for releasably supporting said elements in said divergent relationship, and actuatingmeans including a rotatable actuating rod having an axis lying parallel to and below the pivotal axis of said valve elements and connected to the support means for selectively moving one of said valve elements to valve open position.

5. In a valve assembly for discharge of flowable bulk material from a hopper-type vehicle, the combination of: a hollow valve throat member having a discharge opening; valve closure means extending across the throat member in closed position and pivotally mounted about an axis lying between the walls of the throat member; and means pivotally mounted below the valve closure means for support thereof and including a plurality of spaced rollers with axes equidistant from the axis of said last mentioned pivotally mounted means and bearing against selected surfaces on the valve closure means; said last mentioned means including an actuating rod pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis below the pivotal axis of the valve closure means and carrying said rollers, and non-stretchable flexible means connected to said rod and to distal portions of the valve means for positively Opening said valve closure means.

6. In a valve assembly, the provision of: a valve throat member having a discharge opening; valve means within the valve throat member for controlling discharge of material through said valve assembly, said valve means including: a shaft; valve closure elements pivotally connected to said shaft and divergently extending diagonally downwardly for closing said discharge opening; an actuating rod extending parallel to and below said shaft and between said valve closure elements; and support means carried by the actuating rod for holding said closure elements closed in one position and for selectively opening only one of said elements in another position; said support means including a plurality of transversely aligned spaced rollers carried by said actuating rod and cooperatively engaging surfaces on said valve closure elements.

7. In a valve assembly, the provision of a valve throat member having a discharge opening; valve means within the valve throat member for controlling discharge of material through said valve assembly, said valve means including: a shaft; valve closure elements pivotally connected to said shaft and divergently extending diagonally downwardly for closing said discharge opening; an actuating rod extending parallel to and below said shaft and between said valve closure elements; and support means carried by the actuating rod for holding said closure elements closed in one position and for selectively opening only one of said elements in another position; and nonstretchable means connecting the actuating rod to distal margins of the valve closure elements whereby rotation of the rod in one direction will positively draw one of the valve closure elements into open position.

8. In a valve assembly, the combination of: means providing a discharge opening for flow of material therethrough; valve closure means for said opening including valve elements pivotally mounted above the opening and extending in downwardly diverging relation therefrom to close said opening; an actuating rod pivotally mounted below and between said valve elements; and means releasably supporting said valve elements and including a member carried by said actuating rod, a plurality of rollers arranged in a circular are on said member; and curved faces on said elements corresponding to the curvature of said arrangement of rollers and cooperable with said rollers for supporting said valve elements in opening and closing said valve closure means.

9. A valve assembly as stated in claim 8 wherein said member is of triangular shape and carries a roller at two apices thereof.

10. A valve assembly as stated in claim 9 wherein means extend between said actuating rod and lower portions of said valve element for causing positive opening of a valve element upon rotation of said actuating rod.

11. In a valve assembly for discharge of flowable bulk material from a hopper-type vehicle, the combination of: a hollow valve throat member having a discharge opening; valve closure means extending across the throat member in closed position and pivotally mounted about an axis lying between the walls of the throat member; and means pivotally mounted below the valve closure means for support thereof and including a plurality of spaced rollers with axes equidistant from the axis of said last mentioned pivotally mounted means; said valve closure means including non-planar and planar surfaces selectively cooperable with said rollers during opening and closing of the valve closure means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

